Lawrence M. Schall, J.D., Ed.D. was elected the 16th president of Oglethorpe University in March 2005 and assumed office on June 23, 2005.

Under Schall’s leadership, Oglethorpe has seen a dramatic rise in enrollment and philanthropic giving. In fall 2013, Oglethorpe opened the new $16 million Turner Lynch Campus Center, home to the A_LAB, or Atlanta Laboratory for Learning, further linking Oglethorpe students and the community. The A_LAB houses three learning centers: the Center for Civic Engagement, opened in 2007, which focuses on volunteer, curricular, civic and cultural projects in Atlanta and beyond; the Center for Professional Development, opened in 2011, which provides work-based internships for every Oglethorpe student in their field of study; and the Center for Global Education, opened in fall 2013, which connects Oglethorpe students with the global community. The A_LAB also helps to join students and faculty with research, scholarship and learning on campus, in Atlanta and around the globe.

Born in Manhattan, Schall grew up in Wilmington, Del. He graduated with honors from Swarthmore College in 1975 and went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree in 1978 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Schall practiced law in Philadelphia as a trial attorney, specializing in civil rights litigation. In 1990, he returned to his alma mater, Swarthmore College, and served for 15 years, leaving as Vice President for Administration.

While at Swarthmore, Schall was awarded a doctorate in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania, and served as Director of the Executive Doctorate Program in Higher Education as well as an adjunct faculty member of Penn’s Graduate School of Education.

Schall currently serves as Board Chair for the East Lake Foundation, and on the boards of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and the Lovett School.